Turn thine eyes to earth and heaven ! Clothed* the earth, and cleared the skies MARY HOWITT. 65. UNEXPECTED AUDITORS A priest, who had usually a very small audience, was one day preaching at the church in his village, when, the doors being open, a gander and several geese came* stalking up the middle aisle (1). The preacher, availing himself of the circumstance, observed that he could no longer find* fault with his district for nonattendance, because, though they did not come* themselves, they sent their representatives. 66. THE LITTLE COWARD Why, here's a foolish little man, For, only think*, he runs* away Poor Brindle cow can hardly pass And when old Tray comes* jumping too, But all the while you're thinking*, may be, 67. TIE DESERTER In the year seventeen hundred and sixty-six four, Austrian soldiers having deserted were taken* and doomed to draw* lots for one of them to be shot*. Three of them drew*, but the fourth protested he would not, as her Majesty had just before forbidden*, under severe penalties, all games of chance: "And, said* he, I cannot give* a greater token of my repentance than obedience to her Majesty's laws". Upon this, the execution was suspended, and an account of this odd transaction sent* to Vienna; the result of which was an order to forgive* them all. 68. THE MISCHIEVOUS MONKEY Among the rules of the port of London is one which forbids*, under a heavy penalty, the firing of a gun from any vessel lying* there. A ship had just come* in from a long voyage, during which she had touched at several places, and at each of them had fired a salute on anchoring. A monkey that was on board, naturally wondering why this was omitted when he saw the anchor dropped at London, resolved, rather than that it should not take* place, that he would fire the salute himself! Accordingly, while the attention of all on board was engaged with the arrival of the ship, he went* to the cooking place, and with the tongs took* out a live coal which he applied to the touch-hole of one of the guns; and forthwith the whole neighbourhood was startled by the roar of the cannon. The captain of the vessel was prosecuted for breaking* the law; and he could only clear himself by proving that the cannon had been fired by the monkey. Accordingly, en conséquence Anchor (to), mettre à l'ancre Apply (to), appliquer Board (on), à bord Clear (to) one's self, se disculper Cooking-place, cuisine Drop (to), faire tom ber; ici: jeter Fire (to), tirer Forthwith, immé - Live coal, charbon Rule, règle, règle- lir; ici effrayer Take (to) place, avoir lieu Tongs, pincettes Touch-hole, lumière Wonder (to), se demander avec étonnement 69. THE WOOD-MOUSE Do you know the little wood-mouse, That lives among the forest leaves, Its fur is as red as the chestnut, 'Tis a timid, gentle creature, It has a long and wiry tail, And eyes both black and bright. It makes its nest of soft dry moss, And there it sleeps* secure and warm, |